Deer-Resistant Combinations for Hot, Sunny Sites

Deer-resistant garden border

Learning to select plant combinations rather than just individual plants, will immediately transform your garden from the onesy-twosey look to a cohesive design. For those of us who share our gardens with deer it can be especially hard, yet it really is possible. Deer behaviors and tastes vary across the country, so not every suggestion…

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Container Design Challenge: Mix to Match!

sunny front garden

Do you have one of those tricky scenarios like I do: two containers that need to "match" yet have different lighting conditions? The two pots flanking our front door are always a challenge.The one on the right receives more direct sun than the one on the left, and the far left side of that left…

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Versatile Container Plants for Spring

spring container garden

After being buried under snow for weeks, my Seattle garden is finally green again – with splashes of yellow, blue, pink, and white as spring-blooming perennials and shrubs wake up. It's so exciting to see color! Inevitably a few things look worse for wear after the winter – especially some of my containers, but rather…

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A Low Maintenance Garden that Celebrates Fall

Heart-shaped, golden leaves of a katsura tree in fall

It's a truly glorious fall here in the Pacific Northwest – blue skies, incredible foliage color and warm temperatures that have me still wearing T-shirts rather than polar fleece. It's a joy to be outside on days like this and spending a day "working" in the garden is both fun and easy. Can you say…

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Designing Fall Combos

Pathway covered in leaves from red maple in October

It's that time of year when I'm dodging rain showers in the garden and preparing for cooler days ahead while enjoying the rich colors of autumn that still have me reaching for my camera. The best fall gardens are those which celebrate the season with bold combinations and dramatic vignettes. Here are some tips to…

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